threatening an area from the gulf coast to the midwest. parts of oklahoma and arkansas are under a winter storm warning this christmas morning. there's a blizzard watch for western kentucky. snow is already falling in maryland and pennsylvania making for difficult holiday travel. our meteorologist at our miami station, wfor, says the real danger lies with potential tornadoes down south. christmas day is shaping up to be a very active weather day, especially in the deep south. we could see a widespread severe weather outbreak. here's the reason why. at the surface, we'll see southeasterly winds funneling up warmth and moisture from the gulf of mexico. in the upper levels, we'll have a southwesterly wind. that causes twisting and turning in the atmosphere. some of these thunderstorms could start to spin. we call those rotating super cell thunderstorms. often those will put out tornadoes. we're worried about numerous tornadoes, some of them could be strong along the gulf coast. now on the northern side of the system, it's obviously not severe weather. it's severe snow. there's going to be a lot of heavy snow making for a white

christmas in places like oklahoma city, little rock, and up into southeastern portions of st. louis. then the storm on wednesday and thursday moves into the ohio valley, great lakes, and inland portions of the northeast. some places will pick up around two feet of snow. most folks around a foot with wind gusts to around 40 and 50 miles per hour, making for a travel nightmare as we head through the week. really for tuesday and especially wednesday and thursday. reporting for cbs news, miami. authorities in western new york still don't know what prompted an ex-con to gun down a group of firefighters. the gunman lured them to his neighborhood in the town of webster by setting a fire to a car and house. two firefighters were killed in the ambush. this morning, officials are looking for more victims. we have more from webster, new york. good morning. >> reporter: duarte, as investigators work to find out

why two firefighters were killed, the whole town of webster is grieving this christmas. it's a day that should be about celebration. candles are burning for two firefighters killed in an ambush the day before christmas. >> our men are hurt, and they're not going to be home with their families now. >> reporter: police believe 62-year-old william spengler intentionally set fire to a house and car in order to lure first responders to his neighborhood. >> i'm sorry. i just -- >> reporter: that's okay. >> it's -- christmas. i mean, who targets people on -- >> reporter: authorities say spengler injured two volunteer firefighters and killed two more before killing himself. 19-year-old michael chiapperini was filling in for another so they could spend christmas with their families. tomasz kaczowka was just named firefighter of the year two weeks ago. >> it's very -- a very difficult situation. >> reporter: condolences have

been pouring in to this fire station from around the world. and now two families are spending their christmas making funeral arrangements. >> right now we're recognizing what we need to do to bury two of our members. >> reporter: and the death toll could grow higher. spengler's sister is unaccounted for. police believe she and others might have been trapped in the fire that consumed seven houses. >> until we can get into those homes and see -- god, i'm hoping that everyone was able to escape from the inferno. >> reporter: police hope the rubble has cooled down enough to allow them to begin investigating today. william spengler is an ex-con who spent 18 years in prison for killing his grandmother with a hammer. duarte? >> so sad. thank you. it's a subdued christmas day in newtown, connecticut. it's been less than two weeks since a gunman shot and killed 20 children and six adults at

sandy hook elementary school. yesterday a bus carrying hundreds of homemade cards collected from around the state arrived in town. organizers said they want the victims' families to know they are not alone. christmas celebrations are underway around the world this morning. here in new york, thousands packed st. patrick's cathedral for a midnight mass. overseas, a similar scene in bethlehem where the faithful gathered in the town where tradition says jesus was born. manger square was packed with lights and decorations. at the vatican, pope benedict delivers his annual christmas day message. earlier he presided over a mass at st. peter's basilica, prayed for peace in the middle east, and talked about the need for god in a technology-driven world. we have this report. ♪ >> reporter: thousands of faithful packed st. peter's basilica as pope benedict celebrated christmas eve mass. a children's choir sang the traditional hymns, and bells tolled to mark the birthday of jesus.

the pope urged followers to find room for god in a modern world filled with technological gadgets. >> hopefully people listen to him and take his words in a spiritual and meaningful way. >> reporter: in his homily, the 85-year-old pope also asked for a solution to the arab/israeli conflict of interest and an end to the civil war in syria. for many tourists, spending christmas here in vatican city and hearing pope benedict speak is a once in a lifetime experience. >> amazing to see so many people here. probably of all faiths. and just wonderful to be a part of it. it's bigger than we are. >> it's something that encourages me to believe even more. >> reporter: before the mass, the pope lit a peace candle outside his window as a larger than life nativity scene was unveiled in st. peter's square below. the traditional midnight mass was moved up to 10:00 years ago to let the pontiff rest before

his important christmas day speech. cbs news, the vatican. president obama is in hawaii for christmas. the president is expected to spend a quiet day with his family. with the president and congress on a short holiday break, there's been no movement on fiscal cliff negotiations. before he left washington, the president said he believes a deal could be made before the december 31 deadline. u.s. troops celebrated their 12th consecutive christmas in afghanistan. service men and women attended a service at the nato base in kabul, sang some carols, then enjoyed a holiday dinner. and coming up on the "morning news," he may be messy funny, jack klugman from "the odd couple "has died. a look back at his remarkable career. [ female announcer ] introducing u

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available at these fine retailers. firefighters in california battled a raging river yesterday to rescue a homeless man. he was living on an island in the los angeles river and got

into trouble after a fast-moving storm tore through the area. rescuers used an inflatable boat to reach the island and tossed ropes to the man which he tied around a tree. the man was taken to the hospital and treated for hypothermia. former president george h.w. bush is spending christmas in a houston hospital. the 88-year-old was admitted last month after developing a cough. he's now being treated for weakness and fever. doctors say they are cautiously optimistic about his recovery. nelson mandela will also spend christmas in the hospital where he's being treated for a lung infection and gallstones. people in capetown gathered to pray for the former south african president. other prayer services took place across the country. the so-called king of the character actors has died. charles durning played everything from a nazi officer to the pope. he earned two oscar nominations including one for the musical "the best little whorehouse in texas." he was also a world war ii vet

who survived the d-day invasion of normandy and battle of the bulge. he was 89 years old. the actor best known as oscar for his role in the 1970s sitcom "the odd couple" has passed away. john finolio takes a look at jack klugman's life, career, and challenges he overcame. >> reporter: jack klugman was best known as the lovable, sloppy, cigar-loving sports writer oscar madison in "the odd couple." >> i can't believe this poker game. you with him, you with your tie. >> reporter: klugman won two emmys for the role playing opposite the late tony randall who played felix unger, his obsessively clean roommate. >> look, what do you see? >> mayonnaise. >> reporter: klugman started acting when he returned home from world war ii. he quickly landed major tv and film roles. in 1953, he married actress brett somers, and the couple had two sons.

they separated after 21 years but remained married until somers died at age 83. he would later marry peggy crosby. >> a medical term for guts. >> reporter: following "the odd couple," klugman starred as a crime-solving medical examiner in "quincy m.e." having won habit with oscar madison, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. practically voiceless he continued working. he continued to work with randall, appearing on broadway in "the sunshine boys." >> say that again. >> why? >> say it again. >> i feel great. >> reporter: the two teamed up in 1983 for an "odd couple" reunion show. klugman continued to act into his 80s. he passed away at his home on monday. he was 90 years old. cbs news, los angeles. straight ahead, your christmas day forecast. plus, the perfect christmas gift. parents' joy. their baby boy who survived so much finally home. their baby boy who survived so much finally home. from kabul, afghanistan, i'd like to say hi to my family in

spokane, washington. hi to my family in spokane, washington. ...but he'd wait for her forever, for any reason, and would always be there with the biggest welcome home. for a love this strong, dawn only feeds him iams. compared to other leading brands, it has 50% more animal protein. ...to help keep rocky's body as strong as a love that never fades... if he ever lets her leave again. iams. keep love strong. if he ever lets her leave again. he is a good little monkey and always very curious. one day george got an important letter. he's built a rocket ship to travel into space." google, how far is earth to the moon? the moon is 238,900 miles... "the great moment had come." 3, 2, 1... [ giggling ]

i need all the help i can get. that's why i like nutella. mom, what's the capital of west virginia? charleston. nutella is a delicious hazelnut spread my whole family loves. mom, have you seen my -- backpack? nutella goes great on whole-wheat toast or whole-grain waffles. and its great taste comes from a unique combination of simple ingredients like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. yeah, bye. have you seen my -- yes. and...thank you. [ male announcer ] nutella. breakfast never tasted this good. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. new york, morning rain, 43. miami, some sun, 80. chicago, snow showers, 36. dallas, rain and snow, 51. los angeles, partly sunny, 65. time now for a check of the national forecast. a major storm is bringing a white christmas to much of the country.

the plains and midwest could see blizzard conditions. up to an inch of snow could fall in parts of the northeast. more severe weather in the south could bring damaging winds and tornadoes. and as much as two feet of snow is expected in parts of the rocky and sierra mountains. this is a christmas full of special meaning for a young family here in new york. they're spending a quiet holiday with their baby boy who endured so much before he could finally go home. vinita nair with their story. >> reporter: andrew blanca was born 15 weeks early, weigh ing just one pound, ten ounces. his whole life has been a struggle beginning the night his mom went into early labor. colleen was pregnant with twins when doctors told her she had a rare condition. one baby was growing, but the other was not. >> they told us that there was a good chance that we would lose both of them. >> reporter: after an emergency c-section, andrew arrived at the neo-natal intensive care unit, attached to monitors to help him breathe, eat, even pump his own blood. his brother, william, didn't make it.

>> two days after he was born, he -- he passed away. >> reporter: for three months, andrew stayed in the nicu. he had eye surgery, battled breathing problems, and nearly died after a bout of sepsis. >> that was very touch and go. that was a very difficult time. >> reporter: then superstorm sandy struck, and the hospital had to evacuate. andrew was one of six babies relocated here to montifiore medical center in the bronx. dr. christy bruno was in charge of andrew's care. >> we worked to wean him off the oxygen as he tolerated it. and he did beautifully and began to grow. >> reporter: after another month in intensive care, andrew weighed nine pounds and was finally able to go home. >> chubby cheeks. having gone through what we've gone through with him, it just makes it so much more special. so we're really very excited for this christmas. >> reporter: he still has weekly visits with the pediatrician and

will see specialists throughout his childhood. but his parents say he is the best gift they ever received. vinita nair, cbs news, new york. indianapolis colts coach chuck pagano has rejoined the team three months after being diagnosed with leukemia. he was welcomed back monday by jim irsay after doctors cleared him to return. the coach underwent three rounds of chemotherapy to put his cancer in remission. during an emotional news conference, pagano thanked the interim coach who led during his absence. >> when i asked bruce to take over, i said, now, you got to kick some you know what, and you got to do great. bruce, you had to go and win nine games? >> he guided the team to a playoff spot. the colts go for their 11th win of the year on sunday. when we return, it's got to be the best gift ever. the winners of spain's massive lottery split a jackpot worth more than $3 billion.

hi, i'm staff sergeant massey here in kabul, afghanistan. i would like to say happy holidays to all my family in fayetteville, north carolina. happy holidays. my family in fayetteville, north carolina. happy holidays. ( ♪ ) for those nights when it's more than a bad dream, be ready. for the days when you get a sudden call from the school, be ready. for the times you need to double-check the temperature on the thermometer, be ready. when you have children's motrin on hand, you're ready.

for high fever, nothing works faster or lasts longer than children's motrin. be ready with children's motrin. when an army of volunteers serve up a holiday feast for thousands of diners. and preparing a stormy white christmas around the countr where people will be shovelg out driveways...and packing scrapers. "i think it will just signal that they can't get it toger -that probably leads to even worse decisions in the futu and bay area leaders sound f on the fiscal cliff stalema. join us for cbs 5 eyewitness news this morning... beginn,

here's a look at today's forecast in some cities across the country. waernds, pbs, -- washington, d.c., partly sunny, 48. atlanta, rain, 60s. st. louis, mostly cloudy, 38. denver, morning snow, 25. seattle, rain, 40. shoppers hitting the stores after christmas could find some amazing bargains. experts say post-christmas sales will likely have steeper discounts than in the past. the uncertain economy led holiday shoppers to spend less than usual. so some stores could cut prices by as much as 80%. in celebrations across spain

this christmas after a jackpot-busting $3.3 billion lottery. as barry peterson reports, unlike lotteries in the united states, spain spreads the wealth. >> reporter: they won it in the lottery called el gordo. translation, "the fat one." numbers tumbled in machines that look a lot like some sort of imaginary rocket ship. [ cheers ] >> reporter: there was plenty of imagining by people in the audience looking for an extra christmas present. it represents hope and luck, says this man. it will help us to breathe a bit so our finances improve. and lady luck had a sweet sound. [ speaking spanish ] >> reporter: school kids singing out the winning numbers. and millions waiting to see if they would share in the $3.3 billion in prizes. unlike lotteries in the u.s. where a few winners get a big jackpot, el gordo is spread

among thousands. good news for a country where the hungry hunt food in the garbage and anger has spawned violence for people lost in the desperation of a crashing economy. so the champagne flowed across the country. the biggest winners walked away with up to half a million dollars. this unemployed electrician had to borrow money from his girlfriend's father to pay for part of his ticket and won $265,000. "it will be for the house," he said, "i don't know what to say. so much happiness." happiness far and wide as people often pooled their money to buy multiple tickets. and that meant multiple chances to win. that's what these supermarket workers did. the dancing and hugging pretty much tell it all. [ speaking spanish ] >> reporter: and in this economically ravaged country, a different kind of tears, tears of joy. >> that was great news for them. that was barry peterson reporting.

coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," celebrating 60 years of mr. and mrs. potato head. i'm duarte geraldino. this is the "cbs morning news." this is the "cbs morning news." [ female announcer ] introducing u the latest coffee machine from nespresso. modular. intuitive. combines espresso and fresh milk. the new u. nespresso. what else? available at these fine retailers. but the acidic levels in some foods can cause acid erosion. the enamel starts to wear down, and you can't grow your enamel back. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel, because it helps to strengthen the enamel. and i believe it's doing a good job. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card

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now to a story about the magic of christmas. there's a little town in indiana where it's christmas all year long. the place is called santa claus, and every day they get letters from true believers. as byron pitts tells us, the good people of santa claus try to answer everyone. dear santa, are you getting ready and fattening up? >> how are things at the north pole? >> thank you, aidan north. >> reporter: call it one of the wonders of the christmas season. children who don't simply believe in santa claus but also believe he answers his mail. >> very good. >> reporter: and then there are those who believe in answering santa's mail. they live in a place where

christmas is a year-long celebration. about 82 years ago, santa claus, indiana, a rural town on the kentucky border, started the tradition of answering letters in santa. in 1930, a local businessman with a big heart and belt to match was in charge. folks affectionately called him santa jim. >> my dad was santa claus. >> reporter: pat cook is santa jim's daughter. now 81, she's been helping santa since she was 12. you have the posters there say santa claus -- >> the only place with a post office, yes. >> reporter: that's why letters with no address or stamps arrive here each day. >> we get letters that say north pole, big red guy, guy in the red suit. they all get delivered. this is the santa's elves headquarters. >> reporter: unlike commercial

lettered-writing operations today, their service is free. >> for my daddy, i would like for him to find a job. for my mommy, a little time to relax. >> reporter: under her watchful eye, dozens of elf volunteers answer nearly 30,000 letters each year in red ink with a personal postscript that teaches a lesson. >> if we can just make a difference with one child, that's a difference. >> reporter: now the keeper of the letters, she displays the best ones in this museum. >> here's my favorite. "dear santa, i want my dad to be smarter. please, can my dad be smarter?" >> reporter: show of hands if you believe in santa claus? aidan, audrey, and caleb received their letters from santa. but it's clear they already understand what christmas is all about. what does christmas mean to you? >> that you should believe in other people. >> reporter: how about you? >> it should be a happy time and fun time. and you get to spend time with your family. i like it.

>> reporter: family, a gift with renewed meaning this holiday season. byron pitts, cbs news, santa claus, indiana. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning, ""a look at some of your favorite stories including dave letterman's chat with oprah winfrey at ball state university. that's the "cbs morning news" for this tuesday. i'm duarte geraldino. have a good morning. ,,,,

i'm frank mallicoat. good morning everyone, and merry christmas to one and all,

i'm frank mallicoat. >> and i'm elizabeth wenger, michelle griego has the day off. >> and the weather christmas grinch. >> merry christmas guys. hey folks if you're up this morning i'm glad santa's already been here. going to see heavy rain and maybe some thunderstorms and we'll talk about that coming up. and here's a live look right now at a very empty golden gate bridge. traffic is superlight so far on this christmas morning. we'll continue to show you traffic conditions across the bay area and plus an update on mass transit in a few minutes. >> by the way we love you lawrence. >> thank you. 4:30 on christmas day now. new signs show the democrats on capitol hill may be moving forward on a plan to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff next week. they left congress on friday with a promise to return after christmas. er